Improvement in presses for color-printing



J. T. & E. C. BRUEN.

PRESS FOR COLOR PRINTING..

Pajfented .Tyne 6, 1876.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN T. BRUENl AND EDWIN e. Brnnntfor BROOKLYN, NEW vonk.`

IMPROVEMENT IN PRESSES FoR COLOR-PRINTING.

Specification forming part `of Letters Patent N`017SA,2Q9, dated June 6,1876; application led 4. i Y Septemberl, 1875.

`To all whom it may concern;

Be it known that we,VJoHN T. BRUEN and EDWIN C. 'BRUEN, both ofBrooklyn, in the' county of Kings and State of New York, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in'Inking Apparatus forPrinting-Presses;

and we do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription of the same, reference being had to the accompany- 'ingdrawing, which forms part of this specication.

This Vinvention is ymore especially designed as an attachment toordinary printing-presses,

to adapt them to printing in colors.

The invention consists `in a combination of two or more color-'rollsiiasingle transmittingroll common -to 4all of-.said color-rolls, and alreciprocating type-bed', printing-stone, or form, when saidcolorroll's,'which, with the transmitting-roll and form, are allpositively geared toregister correctly, have their figures so arrangedthat the different parts of the figure received from each bythe inkingor transmitting roll intervene both in the direction of thecircumference of the `rolls, as well as in the direction of the lengththereof. Saidcolorrolls arepreferably made up or incased by iiidependentand matching pattern-rings.

struction of said rings in halves or sections dovetailed or equivalentlyconnected-together, whereby they may b'e readily attached to 0r detachedfrom the rolls which carry them 4without disturbing adjacent rings onthe same rolls, or without taking out the rolls.

The invention likewise consists in certain means for preventing backlashof the rolls, and to secure perfect registering.

Figure l represents af plan of ani inking apparatusfor printing incolors in illustration of my invention. Fig. 2 is a longitudinalvertical section of the same on the irregular line a: m. Fig.' 3 is aview in perspective of a divided pattern-ring, in illustration of onepart of the invention and Figs. 4 and 5, perspective views of thedivided or sectional portions of the same detached.

A is theframe ofa colored-inking apparatus, which may be attachedto anysuitable printing-press, B being the reciprocating type-bed,printing-stone, or form. This bed B is moved backwardA and forwardrelatively to the inking-roll G and pattern or impression cylinder ofthe press by means of racks b b on said bed and spur-wheels c c" on theends ofthe inking-roll G. These spur-wheels c c are in gear withspur-wheels d d on opposite ends of the color-rolls D D, and areunequally arranged or steppedthat is, the teeth of said gear on the oneside of the apparatus come opposite the spaces between the teeth of suchgear on Vthe other side of the apparatus, whereby a continuous action isproduced, which reduces.

or prevents backlash,` and so contributes to produce perfectAregistering as regards the joint action of the color-rolls relativelywith each other and with the inking-roll C. These rolls, as alsofountain-rolls E E, may receive their motion by gearing from theprintingpress.

The color-rolls D D are not designed to have any longitudinal orlaterally-reciprocating motion for the purpose of distributing thecolors, but are restricted to a circular' travel orl motion, and consistsimply of parallel rolls or shafts having color-carriers orpattern-rings G G,'arranged on or along them, so that they presentanopen space on the one roll or shaft- 1 Where there isa color-carrier orcolored print- The invention also consists in a novel coning-surface onthe other roll or shaft in the same transverse plane or planesintersecting said shafts, whereby the several colors are prevented fromcoming in contact, mixing, or blending. The spacing of the colorcarriersor rings is accordingly an important feature.

The color carriers or pattern-rings G G may be of various designs,either for printing in continuous stripes of different colors, or infanciful gures at distances apart, or for d0- ing both kinds of work,and may be soconstructed that they each represent a blank in achromo-print; but said color-rolls or the color-carriers orpattern-rings thereon, and which here form the acting portions orsurfaces of the rolls, have their figures so arranged that the differentparts of the figure received from each by the inking or transmittingroll G intervene both in the direction of the circumference ofthe rolls,as well as in the direction of the length thereof.

The rings Gr G on the rolls D D represent a fanciful `design in twodifferent colors, as

transferred by said rings to the inking-roll C,

the inked surfaces f of either one ring matching with the spaces g ofthe other ring.

These several'rings G G are constructed in longitudinal halves orsections, with projecting end dovetails u on the meeting-face ofthe onehalf section, capable of entering longitudinal recessesw in the otherhalt' section when placing the two half sections together, and so thatby longitudinally sliding the one half section relatively to the other,the end dovetails u will lock with the end dovetail recesses 'v in theother half section, substantially as represen-ted in Figs. 3, 4, and 5of the drawings, whereby the rings G G may be readily attached to ordetached from the rolls which carry' them without disturbing adjacentrings, or withouty takingl out the rolls. To insure perfect registeringwhen independent color or pattern' rings, as described, are employed,the rolls D D are each provided with feathers or longitudinal keys h ontheir surfaces, adjustable by screws i in a radial direction,

and serving not only to rotate the color-rin gs A in common with theirrolls, but also-that is -by setting the feathers h radially outwardtobind or hold the rings firm to their places,

' and so thatlthey cannot shift to spoil the register.

Separate color-cups or ink-fountains H are Yused for each'color orpattern ring, although only two are here shown, and the, fountainrollsE, which lare driven by the press, receive sufficient `motion totransfer the different inks or colors round the distributing-rolls J.These -rolls J are rotated by contact or friction with thefountain-rolls E, and are supported in a free or swinging manner bypivoted frames' or levers K, controlled by springs l, so that `saidrolls J remain in contact with the fountain-rolls E vtill fully suppliedwith their respective inks or colors, when cams m, ou theAfountain-rolls, coming in contact with the levers K, throw or vibratethe distributing-l .'rolls J up against the color or pattern rings -G Gfor a sufficient period of time to insure the full or proper inkin g ofsaid color or pa'ti y tern rings, after which the distributing-rolls J'are thrown back by the springs l, and the color or pattern rings GGtransfer the differy ent colored patterns or designs to the'inkingrollC, which applies the ink to the form. This combination avoids thenecessity of duplicate inking and distributing series of rolls, theintermittently swinging distributing-rolls arranged to' operate betweenthe fountain and color rolls avoiding such necessity. Our innternrings.Thus the color cups or fountains Hare not only constructed so that thefountain-rolls E will consume or use up all the color or inkin thefountains, subject 'to the control of doctors n, which regulate thesupply, but said fountains are made capable of being slid or adjustedtransversely or across the frame on or along parallel guides or ways L Lto vary the positionofthe color cups or fountains relatively to thecolor or pattern rings. Such transverse guides or supports may bevariously constructedand disposed, the one supporting the cups at theirfront andthe other in their rear, and the front support or guide Lpreferably being a simple V- shaped bar, which the cups are grooved tofit, and the other or back guide L being a bar on which the cups rest bya set-screw, r, to hold the cups in positionwhen adjusted in properrelation to the length of the roll, as well as to properly adjust themto the periphery ot' the roll.

The apparatus may begprovided with any desired number of color-rolls inpairs .for operation in connection with inking-rolls, as described,and', of course, the fountains and distributing rolls be accordinglyproportioned, both as regards number and arrangement.

We claimf 1. The combination of the flat reciprocating type-bed,printing' stone,.or form B, the two or more color-rolls D D, and thesingle inking or transmittingA roll "G, which is common to all of saidcolor-rolls and to the reciprocating form B, when said color-rolls,which, with the transmitting-roll and flat reciprocating form, are allpositively geared to register perfectly, have their gures so arrangedthat the different parts of the figure received from each by the.transmitting-roll intervene both in the ldirection of the circumferenceof the rolls as well as 'inthe direction of the length thereof,substantiallyas herein described.

2. The color carriers or pattern'rings G G', constructed 'inlongitudinal sections, fitted t0- gcther substantially as described, incombination with the rolls D D which carry them, whereby said rings maybe vseparately attached or detached without disturbing Vadjacent ringsor removing the'roll's,.essentially as described. A

.3. The combination of the radially-adjusta ble keys or feathers h, withthe rolls D, and independent color carriers or pattern rings ctried bysaid rolls, substantially as spec- 1 e In testimony whereof we' havehereunto signed our names in the presenceof two subscribing witnesses.

JNo. fr. BRUEN.

.. t. E. dBnUnN- Witnesses:

BENJAMIN W. HOFFMAN, VERNON H. HARRIS.

